Crystal River current., 1887-04-23
MIDSUMMER IN FLORIDA.

MIDSUMMER IN FLORIDA.
Northern People Advised 20 visit the
State at That Time Of Ysars
There are thousands Of people In the
north who have spent the winter in
Florida, and can tell you all about the
state. There are others who have
''made the Florida trip" into and out
Of the state on the fly. As 1t were, who
also profess to know all there is to be
known about the soil. climate, produc-
tions, and people. Hardly any two Of
these tourists will agree in all the par
ticulars of the story. having looked on
us from different standpoints and
through vari-colored spectacles, and
none of them give anything like cor
rect idea of the scenery. crop outlook,
and general aspect of things the year
round.
Take, for instance, the midsummer in
Florida. Comparatively few Of the
northern people know anything about
it, They have a vague idea Of bare
fields and dropping foliage. all scorched
and withered beneath the rays of
burning equatorial sun. and Of lisless
people painting and tanning in the shade
or tossing with fevers and longing for
the cool breath from far northern ice
fields that comes with the late fall
months and makes the country endura-
BILE. How different is the reality. Look
about you and you shall see from your
open doors and windows. through
which cool and refreshing breezes are
blowing, scene that might delight the
veriest sybarite. The room where We
sit writing has windows opening to the
north. south, and east, a door which
stands open to the west wind that 10
breathing it in gentle current freighted
with an odor of blossoms. Looking out
of the window in 'front.' a tall oleander
tlaunts its beautiful double pink blos-
SONS tantalizingly near; beyond Grape
myrtle hangs out its flame like plumes
amid its foliage of dark green. and
away beyond rise the towering forms
of the water oaks in which the mocking
birds delight to sit and sway and sing.
and from which the rascally blue jay
darts'and chatters. Out of the north
window we look over low house-roofs
to the gable Of a stately brick residence
where a vigorous trumphet flower has
climbed up and fastened itself. cover
ing bricks and cornice, and hanging
out its reddish-yellow blossoms in
punches that look like gouts of fame.
Not far off is the broad-bosomed St.
Johns, on which IL is like an hours
dream to float in your cushioned boat
these glorious moonlight nights-nights
which seem especially made for love
and song, and the sweet dalliances Of
friendly intercourse. as we'll as for most
refreshing sleep. The live oaks thas
come down to the rivers brink and
here and there droop their brpnches till
the long gray moss almost touches the
water, look like gray ghosts in the
weird moonlight while the somber
pines, outlined against the blue and
gold, and silver Of sky, moon, and stars,
make a picture that will hang in the
halls of memory as long as life lasts.
Leaving the night with its family
described witcheries and coming out in
to the garsh light of day again. push
your boat up some creek or estuary of
the river back into the country. Here
you shall see, lining the marshes and
the low-lying shore, the sentinel hybis-
Gus. with his flashing red helmet, the
purple-hearted white water-illy. the
yellow nuphar, and the blue sagittarins,
while OH the bank the fragrant butter
ball and pure white Bermuda lilies
contrast with the phiox of various hues,
backed by the dark green Of the vines
and shrubbery everywhere rankly
growing. If the day be hot and clear
look out for the specks of clouds you
see in glimpses through the avenues Of
the pine woods and if you hear mutt
tering of thunder make for shelter, for
within an hour or so those clouds will
concentrate and, obscuring the sun,
precipitate their cooling contents
through the air upon the earth, and up
on you if you are not we'll covered. It
is these daily showers which make
the air SO pure and keep the vegetation
SO green and succulent.
II you drive out into the country you
will see fields of corn of giant stature.
a single stalk in a "hiil." graceful
clumps Of sugar cane; patches it may
be. of broad-leaved tobacco; great
stretches of cotton in blossoms most
magnificent sight, and groves Of the
orange and peach. with the fruit in diff
ferent stages of advancement. A You
ride along you may hear tho songs Of
the dusky laborer, and As you sec tho
old ''aunty" sitting at her kitchen door
comfortably smoking her corn-cob pipe,
while the dogs, too lazy to bark, lie idly
sleeping in the shade.
This is midsummer picture of Flor.
ida that our northern visitors never see,
and never will see until they divest
themselves of the notion that this part
ofthe union is uninhabitable except in
the winter Florida Times I'm
ton.